- Date
- October 3, 1982, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2509EGeneral Balloon AX-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821003051119A
- Case key
- 69728
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The balloon was landed in the backyard of a residence. The envelope dragged across a 7200 volt powerline which burned the envelope fabric. The pilot said he was approaching a large open field when a gust of wind (downdraft) caused the balloon to land prematurely in the backyard and the deflating envelope draped over the powerline. A recently installed quick shut-off fuel system probably prevented serious injury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2509E
- Reported as
- General Balloon AX-6
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 514
- Airframe hours
- 50
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Herbert M. Tabak
- Registered owner
- Herbert M. Tabak
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Albuquerque, NM
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 976 total · 38 in this make and model · 792 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 140 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.